Very small baby guinea pig.

[Lush]

Hey,

On the 2nd of June, my guinea pig (About a year old) gave birth to just one little guinea pig. Just hours after birth it weighed 80g, very wobbly and wasn't sitting upright almost lopsided. After leaving it alone with its mum inside (As it is currently 10 cel outside) for 2 days the little one seems to have lost weight. It weighed 75g this afternoon. I know that babies are meant to lose weight after birth but 5g seems like a lot. The baby also seems to be alone a lot of the time. I'll often find it a bit cold in the coup not with mum, I was worried about the mum rejecting the baby but I do see it latch on to its mum sometimes. The baby is still very wobbly and cant move quickly unlike her last litter who were up and moving almost straight away.

Just wondering if this is common and how do I help if I need to?

Side Notes:
- This is Milly's 2nd littler, her first litter was with 2 healthy boys. Both litters have different dads.
- I live in rural Australia so any home remedies or medications/supplies I can buy from a local pet shop/farm shop would be great. I do not have access to a vet that would see guinea pigs.

 

[Lady Kelly]

Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done without a vet. Where abouts in Australia are you? Maybe one of our members can point you in the right direction for a vet not too far away. Has dad now been separated from mum so that she does not have a further litter?

 

[Lush]

Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done without a vet. Where abouts in Australia are you? Maybe one of our members can point you in the right direction for a vet not too far away. Has dad now been separated from mum so that she does not have a further litter?

I live in rural NSW between Taree and Newcastle. Yes, dad has been separated from mum and baby. Any idea what it might be?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Please bring mother and baby inside for close observation and warmth; keep them in a cardboard box at first to see whether mum is has bonded with the baby. Check whether mother is actually lactating and doesn't have mastitis and is actually feeding the pup.
Make sure that they are warm, but not hot (a half warmed microwaveable snuggle safe) and can move away from a source of heat if they start overheating.

5g weight loss in the first 48 hours is not unusual but from then on in, the weight should climb.

Please take the time to carefully read the very practical step-by-step information in these guides here; you will find it very helpful as it should answer your questions. In order to account for our members in all part of the world and from very different backgrounds, we have included a range of options in the hand-rearing guide, from the very basic to the more sophisticated. I can't repeat it all in just 2 sentences seeing that it has taken me days to write each guide and make sure that the information in there is complete and precise!
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/after-birth-mother-and-baby-care.109389/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...pport-feeding-orphans-and-tiny-babies.159468/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/

Please make sure that mother is well fed, so she can produce the milk for her baby. A good general diet is key to the overall survival chances of any babies.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/

You have to accept that 20-25% percent of births are not going to plan and are ending with death - and that is the best case scenario (see good diet, stress free and safe environment).
The plain and very painful stats on pregnancy are listed at the start of our pregnancy guide: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/

Please be aware that we are a strictly non-breeding rescue-friendly forum. Any advice in this section is only giving with the explicit aim to end any intentional breeding or breeding by negligence in whatever form. There are far too many unwanted piggies dumped in the wild, on free-ads, let die through neglect. This section is specifically there for those members that victims of being sold mis-sexed or already pregnant guinea pig and that are willing to end any breeding.
This section becomes visible and accessible only after you have ticked your acceptance after supposedly reading our very specific forum rules on this issue during the registering process. Failure to comply will result in a ban.
The aim of this forum is to ensure that all piggies passing through this forum have as good and healthy a life as possible; not to help putting their own lives wilfully at risk. It is emotionally hard on us to deal with all the anxiety and misery from people whose fault it isn't that they end up with dead babies and dying mothers and to support these members and their piggies as best as we can. You will find this section littered with deaths; and any breeding forum is much worse compared to us.

Any further support for you will happen only on this premise that you stop exposing your sows to any further pregnancies.
And as our Australian contacts are in the rescue world, we can only refer you for further support re. local products only if you accede to stopping any further breeding and any risk of further pregnancies. Please also be aware that the risk of fatalities and birthing complications rises with every passing pregnancy.

 

[Lush]

Hi!

Please bring mother and baby inside for close observation and warmth; keep them in a cardboard box at first to see whether mum is has bonded with the baby. Check whether mother is actually lactating and doesn't have mastitis and is actually feeding the pup.
Make sure that they are warm, but not hot (a half warmed microwaveable snuggle safe) and can move away from a source of heat if they start overheating.

5g weight loss in the first 48 hours is not unusual but from then on in, the weight should climb.

Please take the time to carefully read the very practical step-by-step information in these guides here; you will find it very helpful as it should answer your questions. In order to account for our members in all part of the world and from very different backgrounds, we have included a range of options in the hand-rearing guide, from the very basic to the more sophisticated. I can't repeat it all in just 2 sentences seeing that it has taken me days to write each guide and make sure that the information in there is complete and precise!
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/after-birth-mother-and-baby-care.109389/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...pport-feeding-orphans-and-tiny-babies.159468/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/

Please make sure that mother is well fed, so she can produce the milk for her baby. A good general diet is key to the overall survival chances of any babies.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/

You have to accept that 20-25% percent of births are not going to plan and are ending with death - and that is the best case scenario (see good diet, stress free and safe environment).
The plain and very painful stats on pregnancy are listed at the start of our pregnancy guide: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/

Please be aware that we are a strictly non-breeding rescue-friendly forum. Any advice in this section is only giving with the explicit aim to end any intentional breeding or breeding by negligence in whatever form. There are far too many unwanted piggies dumped in the wild, on free-ads, let die through neglect. This section is specifically there for those members that victims of being sold mis-sexed or already pregnant guinea pig and that are willing to end any breeding.
This section becomes visible and accessible only after you have ticked your acceptance after supposedly reading our very specific forum rules on this issue during the registering process. Failure to comply will result in a ban.
The aim of this forum is to ensure that all piggies passing through this forum have as good and healthy a life as possible; not to help putting their own lives wilfully at risk. It is emotionally hard on us to deal with all the anxiety and misery from people whose fault it isn't that they end up with dead babies and dying mothers and to support these members and their piggies as best as we can. You will find this section littered with deaths; and any breeding forum is much worse compared to us.

Any further support for you will happen only on this premise that you stop exposing your sows to any further pregnancies.
And as our Australian contacts are in the rescue world, we can only refer you for further support re. local products only if you accede to stopping any further breeding and any risk of further pregnancies. Please also be aware that the risk of fatalities and birthing complications rises with every passing pregnancy.

How would I tell if Milly (The mum) is lactating?

 

[Wiebke]

How would I tell if Milly (The mum) is lactating?

Does she allow the baby to suckle anddoes the baby suckle from her? If not, it can be a sign that she is not producing or not producing enough milk.
Please check her nipples for milk when you squeeze ever so gently. Also have a look at her genitals to check that everything is OK and that she is not swollen/hot (potentially fatal womb infection).

 

[Lush]

Does she allow the baby to suckle anddoes the baby suckle from her? If not, it can be a sign that she is not producing or not producing enough milk.
Please check her nipples for milk when you squeeze ever so gently. Also have a look at her genitals to check that everything is OK and that she is not swollen/hot (potentially fatal womb infection).

The baby seems to drink from her a fair bit, Milly doesn't seem to be in any discomfort and there are no signs of inflamed or swollen genitals. Her nipples are also producing milk. Is it normal for babies not to be running around properly days after birth? Bubby is still wobbly and doesn't walk around very much when it does it's very slow and shakey.

 

[Wiebke]

The baby seems to drink from her a fair bit, Milly doesn't seem to be in any discomfort and there are no signs of inflamed or swollen genitals. Her nipples are also producing milk. Is it normal for babies not to be running around properly days after birth? Bubby is still wobbly and doesn't walk around very much when it does it's very slow and shakey.

No, this is not normal at all. Your baby needs to frankly see a vet; it sounds like it has a major problem somewhere.